5 Rumours and red alerts
by RedAndBlond
Summary: Fifth: Will a rumour overheard in engineering destroy the happiness our Captain and resident Borg have found?


Title: Rumours and red alertsAuthor:Savé.

Fandom:ST:VOYPairing:J/7

Rating:PG-13Story number:5/?

Disclaimers:-No copyright infringement intended, characters belong to Paramount (sadly enough…)

-If you're this far, you probably know it already, but to make sure: This story doesn't counteract the respect I feel towards Jeri Ryan and Kate Mulgrew.

-Please don't post or copy anything of the story without my authorisation. (I'll give it to you, I just want to know where my stories circulate ;) )

-Story contains two women in a loving relationship (Yeah, it's possible ;) )So if that's not your kind of thing, keep on searching, I'm sure there are lots of heterosexual-related fanfic stories to your liking somewhere else on the net ;) If this sort of stuff is forbidden (either by your parents or your government) make sure it's well hidden ;)

-Last one: feedback=wonderful! :P please let me now if you enjoyed the story 

Summary:Will a rumour overheard in engineering destroy the happiness our Captain and resident Borg have found?

Rumours and red alerts

The red alert had ended. The Captain, Kathryn, had fought off the hostile aliens yet another time. I experienced the strange sensation described as 'butterflies' in my abdomen again as I recalled how Kathryn stood up against the 'bullies', as she called them.

Since our encounter only minutes before the red alert we have not seen each other off duty, for we are both working double shifts to help in the reparations of voyager to recover from the attack. When our shifts end, Kathryn always goes straight to her quarters for an exhausted sleep while I go to regenerate or just continue working on the repairs.

I was working in engineering, helping lieutenant Torres conduct repairs while she completely ignored me. Actually I am grateful of that, because ignorance is preferable to her outburst. While I was concentrating on the repairs, I could not help my enhanced hearing from picking up on the conversation Lt. Torres was having with a lower ensign under her command.

"I'm telling you, they're a couple!"

"How do you figure? Give!"

"So… they're fucking each other senseless… what else are those dinners the Commander's always having with the Captain? They're just excuses to have a valid reason to be there at night! Besides, Chakotay's told me he's been courting her for months now!"

I felt sick in my stomach. Was it true? Where Kathryn and Commander Chakotay really… No. Kathryn said she loves me, she would never… and she had not made love for years when we first did. But she would say those things if she where seeing the Commander too, would she not?

Because of my inner turmoil I did not notice how tight the grip of my Borg-enhanced left hand on the spanner I was holding had become until it gave away with a snap and broke in two pieces. Lt. Torres looked up and opened her mouth to yell at me again, but before she could say something I murmured an apology and turned on my heels out of engineering.

My stomach felt strange, moisture filled my eyes and I shook all over my body. I had to be malfunctioning, so I rounded the corridor and went to sickbay, where the Doctor turned towards me.

"Seven! What's wrong?"

"I am malfunctioning, Doctor."

He took a tricorder and started scanning me with a worried look on his face.

"Your hormone levels are elevated, as are some of your brain functions, but that indicates nothing serious. I'm sorry, but I can't find anything wrong with you."

"But… I-I am shivering, I am experiencing a disturbing sensation in my lower abdomen, my eyes are moist, my heart rate has elevated with-"

It all came out in a high-pitched voice, definitely not my normal composed tones.

"Seven, you're just distressed. What happened?"

I just stared at the doors, from where Kathryn had just entered. She immediately stepped towards us.

"Seven? Doctor? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_."

The Doctor emphasized. Suddenly irritated with him, I snapped:

"Computer, deactivate EMH."

Kathryn came over to me, placing her hands on my knees while she positioned herself between my legs.

"Annika, what's wrong? I'm worried about you."

Tough she tried to catch my gaze, I did not return it, instead looking at a point over her left shoulder. It hurt too much to be this close to her while I did not know…

"Is it true?"

"Is what true, love? You're scaring me."

I turned my head and looked her straight in the eye. I could see her worries as she saw the tears in my eyes and she gently brushed them away.

"Is it true you are copulating with Commander Chakotay?"

I asked angrily, but there was still a shimmer of fear made my voice waver. Kathryn flinched a bit at my words.

"Of course not, darling. I love only you, and I only make love with _you_, and with nobody else. Where did you get that idea?"

"I overheard Lt. Torres say the Commander had told her…"

She lovingly cupped my face in both of her hands. I closed my eyes and revelled in her warmth, her scent. Then she kissed me softly on my mouth, our lips barely touching.

"I'm _not _in love with Chakotay, or with anybody else for that matter. I love only you, Annika, and I only make love with you. Do you trust me on this?"

I felt her breath travel across my lips and brought our mouths together again, softly kissing her and feeling reassured by the loving gesture.

"Yes. But it just hurt so much to think-"

"Shh love, it's alright."

She let her arms slip around my neck and I pulled her close by using my hands on her waist to guide her in my embrace. She turned her head and placed a series of soft, loving kisses on my lips, gradually deepening them. I felt the familiar heat of my desire for her rise and crossed my legs behind her, efficiently pushing our pelvises closer together and bringing as much of her body as possible in contact with mine. She immediately fell in and deepened our kiss, letting our tongues tangle together while she softly moaned in my mouth. We did not hear the soft swoosh of the opening of the doors to sickbay, but we did hear the

"Kahless! Captain-"

B'Elanna shouted before she was interrupted by the Doctor materialising. Kathryn let her head drop on my shoulder and murmured something even I with my enhanced hearing could not hear. She gave me a peck on my throat before she turned around with her command mask firmly in place.

"Lt. Torres, it is brought to my attention that you were discussing certain aspects of my private life with a member of your staff while on duty."

B'Elanna's gaze settled on me for 1.6 seconds before it settled on Kathryn back again. I was certain I had a smug look on my face and I tried to swipe it away, but it was a hard thing to do at the sight of a speechless B'Elanna Torres.

"I will not have my private life discussed, not on duty, not off duty. Is that clear?"

She cast a force 10 glare at B'Elanna, who squirmed under it.

"I-I understand, Captain."

By then, the Doctor had mostly recovered from the sight that had greeted him when he materialised and he went over to the lieutenant, fussing and murmuring to himself as he treated the wound on her arm. Kathryn turned to me and murmured in my ear:

"We have to make these repairs first love, but it shouldn't be too long now. Will you come to my quarters when this is all over?"

"I will, Kathryn."

I kissed her softly on her lips.

"I love you."

She kissed me back.

"I love you, too."

Then she flicked her tongue over my lips, pulled back and strolled out of sickbay, leaving me with a dazed smile on my lips. When I turned, I saw Lt. Torres look at me with an unreadable expression on her face as she jumped off her biobed and caught up with me on our way back to engineering.

"So… you and the Captain? How did that happen?"

"Lt. Torres, I will not discuss my private life, nor the Captain's with you, since it is not for public consumption."

She came to a sudden halt and I stopped to look at her. She took a deep breath.

"Look… Seven, about earlier… I'm sorry. I was wrong, and I was making assumptions about something I shouldn't have been discussing. And I know hearing that hurt you, if that broken scanner is any indication. I'm really sorry about that. I know I've been behaving pretty cool around you, and it was because of some presumptions I had, and I, of all people, should know that they don't say anything about someone. The thing is… I haven't really given you a chance. Please let me do something to make that right. It's just… the Captain's in love with you, and she wouldn't fall for just anyone. So… I can't promise I'll like you, but I want to give you a chance, if you'll give me one, too."

She took another deep breath and looked at me with what I think was nervousness. I nodded slowly, giving her a hesitant look, at which she smiled broadly.

"Come on, if we don't hurry we'll be late."

So we started walking towards engineering again, the tension between us having disappeared. As we returned to engineering, the Lt. and I interacted in a more friendly manner and I was highly aware of the confused and curious looks of the rest of the team, but I was just relieved the yelling and the rudeness had stopped.

When my duty shift ended, the repairs where almost complete: the damage would be gone when my next duty shift began and I was looking forward already to it's end. Since I knew I would be expending much energy tomorrow evening, I programmed a lengthy regeneration cycle during which I constantly saw flashes of Kathryn's face and of our times together.

The crewmembers who entered cargo bay 2 during my regeneration cycle were surprised at the smile that graced my features the entire night.

TBC…


End file.
